Upcycle | From Shabby to Chic – Dining Table & Chairs

Upcycle | From Shabby to Chic – Dining Table & Chairs

There is no better feeling than seeing old furniture waking up for a new life! Upcycling means you can create your very own bespoke, personalised pieces rather than buying uniform furniture designed by someone else. I am so pleased how this set of dining table and chairs turned out! This set became very special for us. When I look at it now, it’s hard to believe I got it for free!

Table Before…

And After…

Table Upcycling was a very quick and easy project. As always, I used eco-friendly water-based Annie Sloan Paint in Old White, which gives a velvety, matte finish. It’s super easy to use this paint and when I’m dealing with large pieces of furniture like this one, I’m extra thankful for it. No need to spend hours sanding and prepping the wood, just slap the paint on! I applied two coats in one day as it dries quite quickly, however, the finish was a tricky part.

Usually, I use Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax for the finish, however, I felt that I need something more durable in this case. Wax can be prone to marking fairly easily from items such as cups leaving water rings and may stain from hot plates. I wanted something more protective for the dining table as this furniture will be used on a daily basis. While many varnishes can certainly be durable, they leave that plasticky feeling and my priority is the natural look. So after a little bit of research, I came across the varnish which provides the durability together with the natural, silky touch of a wax – the wax finish varnishes from Polyvine. I have applied two coats and so far the finish is going strong.

However, the most difficult part of the project was to deal with the chairs. At first, I decided to paint them because I do not like furniture covered with the thick layer of the varnish, which gives a shiny look and deep brown colour. However, I couldn’t decide which paint colour to choose. I was thinking about black in order to outweigh the white furniture in my home. But I was afraid that black might be too dark and considered dark grey, as grey matches perfectly my kitchen. So finally I painted one chair in grey and then had to remove the paint as I didn’t like it! After months of contemplating I decided to simply sand them down. Oh my, I didn’t expect this is such a laborious job! My poor husband did all the main job and I just had a finishing touch.

I am so in love with the final look! I completely adore the rustic, vintage-like look of the chairs. The plain, distressed wood gives a natural look and matches wooden and earthy decor items in my home. I know there are so many beautiful dining sets in the world, but there is the only one which is so special to me. And maybe that’s the biggest joy of upcycling. It’s not only environmentally friendly, but it also makes my home really unique, reflects my values and tells who I really am.